


Red String of Fate

by reginaldthegreat



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Choose Your Own Adventure, Choose Your Own Ending, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Romance, Waiting For Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:13:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 17,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28911402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reginaldthegreat/pseuds/reginaldthegreat
Summary: Your choices lead to an ending with 1 of 4 villagers:1) The best friend that secretly harbors feelings for you.2) The one who can only be himself around you.3) The rival with whom you have undeniable chemistry.4) The one who fell in love at first sight.
Relationships: Alex/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Alex/Player (Stardew Valley), Harvey/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Harvey/Player (Stardew Valley), Sam/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Sam/Player (Stardew Valley), Shane/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Shane/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 64





	1. Date with the Girls

You and your friends, Penny, Maru, and Abigail, sat in a booth in your favorite cafe in the city. You’d been living in the valley for years, so long that Abigail had married Sebastian, Maru finished grad school, and Penny became a professional kindergarten teacher at a school 30 minutes from Pelican Town by bus.

Maru and Penny were excitedly discussing a book the three of you had been reading together while Abby stared blankly out the smudged window, at the snowcapped fir trees and picturesque winter wonderland outside. You smiled sympathetically at her from across the table as she absentmindedly chewed on the paper straw in her emptied strawberry milkshake. She hadn’t had any girlfriends until she met you. She always wanted to, but had a hard time fitting in with the other young women in the valley. 

You had bridged the gap between your bookish, nerdier friends and your edgier, geekier friends. You were both, after all.

“Have you drawn any more comics lately, Abby?” you asked her, and the others happily redirected their attention to their purple-haired companion. 

“Ooh, I _love_ your drawings! I hung that drawing you did of us on my refrigerator!” Penny chirped, her eyes crinkling as she looped her arm with Abigail’s. 

Abby’s pale cheeks flushed a little at the unexpected praise, and she reached up to toy with the tiny silver charm on her choker. 

“I haven’t had much time, especially with homework,” she admitted. She was a little embarrassed to still be taking classes. 

“If you ever have too much to handle, let us know,” Maru urged, “I will always make time for you.” 

You looked up to track down the café’s waitress so that you could order another tray of cheese fries and was startled when you recognized a familiar figure.

“Guys, is that Shane?” you said softly, raising your eyebrows and gesturing in his direction with a tilt of your head.

The girls glanced over, Abby and Penny craning their necks behind them to peer into the farthest corner of the place. 

“Oh my gosh, I think it is,” Penny exclaimed. 

“That’s weird,” Abby noted, “he’s usually at the saloon around this time.”

After a few shrugs and confused glances were exchanged, they returned back to their original conversation but you couldn’t help but peer at him every once in a while. 

What was he doing here in Zuzu City? 

After another plate of cheese fries were rapidly consumed and Abby noted that she promised Sebastian she’d be home before 6, the girls scooped up their discarded coats and scarves to head home. 

As you stood up to leave with them, Maru followed your gaze to Shane’s hunched form. 

“You know, you could go talk to him,” she said softly, “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind the company.” 

“I’m pretty sure the dude hates me.”

She rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t hate you. He’s just a little rough around the edges.”

-

**“Nah, I was supposed to hang out with some other friends this evening.” - Chapter 2**

**“You’re right. I’m going to get to the bottom of this mystery.” - Chapter 6**


	2. Snowball Fight

“Nah, I was supposed to hang out with some other friends this evening,” you said. “Besides, I really _do_ think he hates me.”

Maru shot you a tight-lipped smile before throwing an arm, puffy from her thick winter jacket, over your shoulder. “Let’s head home then.”

As she pulled you along through the café doors after Abby and Penny, Shane watched you leave with weary eyes before downing another XL soft drink.

-

When you got back to town, Maru and Penny waved goodbye as you left with Abigail to go hang out with her and her trio.

You two skipped down the snow-coated cobblestone path towards the small house Robin had built for her and her son, up by the lake near the mountains. 

You were basking in the sunlight over your head when you were disturbed by a cloud overhead. You glanced up in annoyance, realizing quickly that a torrent of clouds were headed towards the valley. Snow, again? Oh well. Might as well enjoy the warmth of the sunlight while it lasted.

When you got to the house, Sam and Sebastian were already standing outside the garage. Sebastian was tweaking his motorcycle, deeply immersed in talk of the mechanics while Sam did his best to look interested. You stifled a chuckle when he nodded along, a bit too enthusiastic to be genuine, as his best friend animatedly talked about his most prized possession.

“Hi Sebby!” Abby exclaimed, interrupting their one-sided conversation as she glided over to him and planted a kiss on his flushed cheek. You caught Sam’s small exhale of relief at an opportunity to change the subject.

“Hey dudettes!” he exclaimed, flashing you both his large, crooked grin. “Long time no see!”

“No one says ‘dudettes’ anymore,” you laughed, giving him a gentle, affectionate punch on the arm.

He pretended you had gravely injured him. “Yoba, farmer, all that slime-slaying has transformed you into one of those overpowered anime characters.”

You smiled bashfully at the compliment. “Shut up.”

“Make me,” he flirted, flashing you a wink.

You didn’t get a chance to respond because you both were immediately pelted with snowballs.

“Ugh, get a fucking room,” Abby shouted, her pale hands already turning pink as she scooped more snow up in her hands.

“You’re the ones who are supposed to be third wheeling,” Sebastian joined in, running to hide behind a tree as Sam began forming his revenge snowball.

You turned to collect some snow of your own when Abby grabbed the hem of your collar.

“No, no, NO,” you screamed as she shoved a pile of snow down your shirt, snowflakes melting against your bare skin. She shrieked and darted away as your shrill voice pierced the air. “I WILL END YOUR BLOODLINE! THAT’S RIGHT, RUN WHILE YOU STILL CAN!”

You sprinted after her, close at her heels, while the other two chortled at the sight.

While you were busy trying to send Abby to an early grave, a figure in a green jacket strolled by after his morning at the spa. He stared longingly at your tight-knit group for only a moment before trudging home through the fresh snowfall, alone.

-

After your snowball fight, the cold had seeped beneath your skin and into your bones. You were all shivering violently, noses red and runny and melted snow in your shoes.

“D-Did R-Robin install that fireplace yet?” Sam managed to say despite the chattering of his teeth.

Sebastian shook his head no and Abigail groaned.

“Are you two coming in or not?” she asked, “I need to be under a blanket ASAP.”

“Hopefully with me?” Sebastian poked his chin up from his scarf to smirk at her.

She rolled her eyes, her smile a reply in itself, before turning to you for a decision.

-

**“I’m good, I think I’m going to head home.” - Chapter 4**

**“I’m going to stay here, I think.” - Chapter 3**


	3. An Impromptu Sleepover

“I’m going to stay here, I think.”

“Ugh, but your house has the fireplace,” Sam groaned, bouncing up and down in place to stay warm.

“Oh, quit being a baby, let’s go in,” Abby announced.

-

Abby wrapped you tightly in a blanket burrito before hopping across the room to join Sebastian under another blanket.

Sam glared at her. “How come I get the Snuggie?”

“I won rock, paper, scissors, fair and square,” you said in a sing-song voice, flashing him a million dollar smile as you sank deeper into the folds of the heated blanket.

He sulked, wrapping Abby’s turquoise blanket-hoodie tighter around his lengthy frame.

For the rest of the evening, the three of you played Cards Against Humanity and Monopoly. You were victorious in the first game but completely bankrupt in the second. Why was Monopoly so damn long anyway?

Eventually, Sebastian fell asleep with his head in Abby’s lap and Sam was out like a light on the couch, snoring like a freight train.

Abby peered across the room at you in the dim light of the moon shining through the skylight glass on the roof.

“Hey,” she said softly, “are you alright? It looks like something’s bothering you.”

You blinked, startled out of your thoughts. You thought you’d been the only one awake.

“I saw Alex earlier,” you replied. “When we were having a snowball fight.”

“Oh, what about him?”

“He looked... off. I don’t think he knew I noticed him, but he looked like he’d been crying.”

“Oh no,” she muttered, then paused. “You know... when he first moved to Pelican town, he was a really sad kid. Really sickly looking, never laughed, didn’t talk much either. He didn’t have a lot of friends. After a few years of living with his grandparents, he started smiling and stuff, but it always felt really... well... off. Like you said.”

You saw the glint of the moonlight against her purple hair as she shook her head.

“He started bragging a lot. Put on this whole tough guy persona. It was really weird. In high school, I caught him making fun of other kids to try and fit in with the other gridball players. That was around the time he and Haley started hanging out.

It was always very odd to me because you could just tell he didn’t want to be there. He’d be making fun of someone’s haircut or hitting on a random girl and you could tell his heart wasn’t in it. I think he’s got good in him somewhere.

I kinda wish Sam, Seb, and I befriended him before he started hanging out with all those assholes,” she sighed. “Typical rude popular guy with a sad backstory.”

You were surprised. You didn’t know all this about him. You had always assumed he had always been like this... like the “typical rude popular guy”.

“It’s not too late to befriend him,” you suggested, but she shook her head again.

“I heard him making fun of Sebby so... I think that ship has sailed. Maybe you could?”

These words stayed with you for the rest of the night, long after she too drifted into a deep sleep.

-

The next morning, you woke up without your alarm, surprised when you found both Sebastian and Abigail fast asleep, curled up against each other. 

Where was Sam though? Did he go home? 

As soon as you’d formed the thought, you heard a soft “dang it” resound from the kitchen.

You padded over to investigate, your fuzzy socks masking the sound of your footsteps. You found Sam fiddling with the dial on the stovetop, a bowl of watery pancake mix in one hand and a rubber spatula in the other. 

“Hi,” you said, swallowing the laughter that bubbled up in your throat when his shoulders shot up in surprise.

“You scared the shit out of me,” he responded in a harsh whisper, though his lips were splitting into a reluctant smile when he saw you resisting laughter. 

“Sorry,” you apologized, “I like scaring you though. I think I’ll do it more often.” 

“If that means seeing you more often as a byproduct, I’m down,” he replied in a soft voice, careful not to get too loud and wake up Abigail and Sebastian. 

You felt your cheeks heat up at the comment. 

-

**Flirt back. - Chapter 12**

**Hold back. - Chapter 8**


	4. Atypical Winter Night

“I’m good, I think I’m going to head home,” you said. You loved your friends, but at the current moment, you craved the warmth of your fireplace more than anything and you openly admitted it. “My fireplace is calling my name.”

“What about you, Sam?” Abigail asked.

He stepped from side to side, juggling the warmth in his muscles to keep from freezing.

“Well... I don’t have a fireplace either,” he whined, giving you pleading puppy-eyes.

Damn, this guy.

“Oh, alright,” you let a short laugh, your breath emitting a small puff of white in the icy air. “You can come over.”

“My savior!” he cried, bounding over to you and clinging to your arm with the energy of a golden retriever, the blond curl at the front of his forehead bobbing with every step. “Sorry Sebby. Come here, at least let me give you a kiss goodbye-“

Sebastian made a face of disgust, sidestepping to hide behind his wife. “Begone thot.”

-

You sighed as you stepped into the familiar comfort of your cabin, kicking your boots to the side next to the door. You unraveled your scarf and dumped it next to your coat on the piano you had spontaneously bought at a garage sale a few months back.

Sam copied you, discarding his boots and jacket as well, before turning to face you.

“It’s strange. I’ve been over to your place loads of times but... never without Abby and Seb.”

The statement hung in the air for a brief moment, your eyebrows slowly raising in comprehension.

“You’re right! I didn’t even notice that.”

You begged yourself not to give away how nervous you suddenly felt. 

_Keep the awkwardness at bay, farmer_ , you urged yourself, _things only become awkward if you make them awkward_.

Sam stepped across the floorboards gingerly, every other step emitting a soft creak. He seemed to be feeling the same sudden awkwardness that you were, walking softly as if he were afraid the house would sense the unfamiliarity and collapse underneath him.

He moved to sit with his legs crossed next to the fireplace, holding his long, thin fingers up to the heat.

“Do you want anything to drink? To eat?” you asked, your hospitable side in full affect. It’s what you did anytime you needed silence to fill.

“No, but I would like for you to join me. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” he asked, his cheeky, lopsided grin returning. He scooted over on the small circular rug and patted the space next to him, urging you to sit.

You hesitate for a moment before letting out a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding.

“Okay.”

You grab the chunky knitted blanket off your bed and hand it to him before sitting down beside him. You hug your knees tentatively, subtly aware of his gaze.

He unfolded the heap of blanket before draping it over the two of you like a cape. When he places your end over your shoulder, his hand lingers there, just for a second too long.

You finally meet his eyes.

Their usual blue hue is overpowered by the reds of the fire, replacing the usual ocean within them with gold specks as the embers jumped from the crackling wood.

You realized, with a slight satisfaction, that he was blushing. His face was devoid of his usual smug expression. He looked small, like a shy little boy.

“Hi,” you said.

“Hi,” he replied.

“Whatcha thinkin’?” you asked, studying the details in his face you hadn’t noticed before. He was so close. You could see the tanned freckles near his ears. His thin nose was a little crooked from when he crashed on his skateboard a few years back. Your eyes trailed down to his neck, the way his adam’s apple bobbed in his throat and occasionally disappeared below the hem of his shirt.

“I think you know what I’m thinking,” he said. His eyes trailed down to your lips, making your breath hitch in your throat.

-

**You lean in and kiss him. - Chapter 5**

**You pull away. - Chapter 13**


	5. By the Fireplace

You lean in and kiss him, and he jumps back in surprise.

“What?” you exclaim in a panic. “Did I do something wrong?”

“N-no! You didn’t,” Sam replied, breathless. His voice drops an octave as he reaches up to hold your face in his hands. “I’ve just been waiting for this for so long and can’t believe it’s finally happening.”

Your noses brush against each other for a moment before he bridges the gap between you once more.

His lips are a little chapped from the cold winds from earlier, but you don’t care. His breath is warm and his tongue is on yours and he tastes like maple syrup and you wondered why you didn’t kiss him earlier.

You break apart for a second, gasping for air and heat in your cheeks. Sam’s ears, nose, and cheeks and tomato red, and this time the cold wasn’t to blame.

“You taste good,” you say stupidly, a little dazed.

He tosses his head back to laugh at this, making you feel kind of embarrassed. 

You give him a light punch on the arm.  
“Shut up before I kick you out!”

His laughter slows and he peers at you through crinkled eyes. “You would never. Besides, I’d just serenade you all night until you let me back in.”

“With a boombox over your head and everything?” you asked.

He booped you on the nose with his fingertip. “Exactly. Also, I was only laughing because you’re insanely adorable.”

“Nooo,” you cried, hiding your face in your hands, “I’m not good at compliments.”

“I can change that!”

He fights to pull your hands away from your face and in the midst of your struggle, you roll back onto the rug. Sam lands on top of you, hands around your wrists on either side of your head, pinning you to the floor.

You stare up at him, at his golden hair and the flickering light cast on his face from the fire. You would’ve felt cold still, if it weren’t for how every inch of your body felt like it was on fire.

“Imagine if Seb and Abby caught us like this,” you pondered aloud.

He smirked. “They wouldn’t be surprised.”  
You raised your eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

He smiled shyly. “I’ve liked you for like, forever. Of course you were the only one who didn’t catch on.”

“Really?” you were shocked. “But why me-“

He leaned in and kissed the tip of your nose. “Because you’re you. That’s why. I don’t need any other reason.”

You scrunched your nose. “That kinda tickled.”

“Did it?”

He leaned in peppered your face with kisses, making you giggle and squirm underneath him. His last kiss was a lingering kiss to your lips. You closed your eyes and leaned up into him. His hands drifted from your wrists to the back of your head and your chin, tilting your face up so his lips were flush against yours.

One hand tangles in his hair while you throw the other over his shoulder to pull him into you. To feel more of him.

You kissed each other with the fury of lost time, as if you were trying to merge yourself together into one person. He was soft and handsome and felt like a dream.

The fireplace crackled beside you, filling the house with the smell of ash and flame. It cast an orange glow on your bodies.

You thought back to all the times you hung out with Abby, Seb, and Sam, remembering the lingering glances of his sky blue eyes on yours, the way he laughed too hard at your jokes, the way he’d gush after you brought him pizza or Joja Cola. You thought back to his first band performance, when he dedicated his song to you.

You ran your fingernails down the back of his neck and he shivered pleasantly from your touch.

“All I wanted,” he panted against your lips, “all I really needed... was you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending 1/?


	6. XL Cup of Joja Cola

“You’re right. I’m going to get to the bottom of this mystery,” you agreed. 

She smirked, reaching up to squish your cheeks affectionately before she threw a hand over her shoulder. “See you later!” 

“Drive safe,” you called as she ushered Penny and Abigail forward towards the exit while explaining your reason for staying behind. 

When they were past the revolving glass door, you turned on your heel to eye Shane’s hunched form. He seemed to notice you looking for the first time and ducked low, squeezing his eyes together as he amusingly tried to hide behind his XL soft drink. 

You strode over, an air of confidence about you. When you were standing beside him and he could smell the earthy scent of your farming endeavors wafting off your clothes, he cracked an eye open. 

“Yes, it’s me. The light of your life,” you deadpanned, pulling up a swiveling stool at the counter and taking a seat beside him. 

He exhaled heavily and sat up a little before returning to sip on his drink. “Go away.”

“Chill, I know you’re creaming your pants from the excitement of being in my presence but,” you sighed and shook your head, “I just wanted to see if you were okay.”

He snorted. “Why do you care?”

“Because I just do.”

“Wow, suddenly my will to live has returned.”

That made you laugh. Seeing you laugh planted a reluctant smirk on his own face. 

“Okay,” he said, rapidly shaking away the smile in hopes that you didn’t see, “what do I have to say to make you go away.”

“Tell me why you’re all the way here in Zuzu City instead of at the saloon.”

“Oookay, stalker much,” he said, shaking the remaining ice in his paper cup. “If you _must know_ I’m trying to quit drinking.”

You frowned, crossing your arms on the countertop as you lay your head on top of your arms, head facing him. “That explains the soda, but not the Zuzu City bit.”

He put the cup down loudly and you tried to hide your small jolt of surprise. If he noticed, he gave no sign of recognition.

“Even being at the saloon, near Pam and Gus, near everyone and their carefree laughter when they’re really hammered... it’s enough to make me crave a drink. I come here to get away from it all.” 

The end of his sentence hung in the air heavily. 

You must’ve had a really worried expression on your face because he glanced at you briefly and rolled his eyes. 

“Oh please,” he groaned, “don’t look at me like that. I’m tired of people looking at me like that.” 

You lifted your head. “Uhhh... looking at you like _what_?”

“Like you want to rescue me. Like I’ve already drank myself into a hospital bed,” he said, his voice suddenly getting louder, “like... like everyone else!”

“Shane,” you said, your hand moving on it’s own, finding it’s place on his arm, “I don’t _pity_ you. I _worry_ about you. There’s a difference.”

He didn’t seem to be pleased with this and pulled his arm away. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand why you would ever do that,” he said, standing up and turning away to toss his empty cup away in the trash. He didn’t look back as he pushed his way outside, his tattered sweatshirt a poor barrier against the bitter cold outside. 

You decided it was better if you didn’t follow him. You had been pushy enough already. 

You sighed, waiting a moment until he was out of your sight before you stepped outside to catch the next bus home. 

-

You groaned as you rolled out of bed the next morning. The monsters in the desert caverns had really kicked your ass these past few days. Especially those green flying things. 

You peered at your leg, at the bandage wrapped tightly around your shin.

You had been doing your best to hide your limp these past few days, trying to tough out your injuries, but this cut seemed to only hurt more every day since it first appeared. 

You sucked a breath and stared at the ceiling bitterly. 

-

**Give in and see a doctor. - Chapter 7**

**Don’t be a pussy. - Chapter 14**


	7. Appointment with the Doctor

You let out the breath you’d been holding. 

You knew the right thing to do was see Harvey. He’d take one look and chastise you for waiting so long to come in. 

...Oh well. Time to get this over with.

-

“Hey, Maru,” you said, “I’m here to see Harvey about something.”

She squinted at you suspiciously, reaching into the pocket of her white coat to find a pen to scribble your name onto a clipboard. 

“What’s wrong? You’re always such a baby about doctor appointments,” she said, scowling at you with distrust, “it must be bad. What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. And wait, what? Am _not_ a baby about appointments. I’m just... really busy... a lot,” you said lamely. 

“Uh huh. I bet you’re scared of needles,” she teased. “Or blood.”

“I’m not scared of anything,” you said, flushing. “Listen to me Maru, I am indestructible. I am unable to be born. Unable to be destroyed.”

You said this as you took a few steps gingerly towards the chairs in the waiting room, doing your best to hide your increasingly obvious limp from her. She didn’t notice, but Harvey, who had just stepped into the room, definitely did.

“MARU!” he shouted, his eyes wide in panic. “Why ever are you letting her walk? Look at the way she’s limping!” 

“What?” she yelled back, his panic contagious. “What do you mean?”

He practically leapt over the front desk, scooping you up bridal style before you could utter a word, his hands curled under your knees and the other tucked under your arm. In the midst of your surprise, your hands leapt up to hook behind his neck to keep yourself from falling.

“Ah!” you said, “Harv, I walked all the way here, I’m not about to drop dead right now.”

He didn’t let you dissuade him from carrying you to a hospital bed, deeply immersed in doctor-mode. When he passed through the double doors, you caught Maru smirking at you, leaning forward on her elbows and biting the clicker of her pen as she caught sight of your flushed face over Harvey’s shoulder. 

_Shut up_ , you wanted to tell her. _Shut up, shut up, shut up._

After he placed you gently on the hospital bed, he immediately focused his attention on your leg. 

“May I?” he asked, holding the hem of your pants. 

You nodded. “Go ahead.”

He folded the pant leg up, revealing the bandage with red seeping visibly through the gauze layers closest to your skin. 

His eyes shot up to meet yours and you threw your head back, already knew what was coming. 

“What is _wrong_ with you? I _told_ you to take care of yourself, to go _easy_ on your body, to _SEE ME_ if anything like this happened,” he said, his green eyes dark with frustration and worry. Something about the way he spoke to you always reminded you of the way your dad used to scold you after you’d gone and done something reckless as a kid. 

“I’m sorry Harvey,” you said, your voice quiet, and you meant it. Being so independent meant you were hard on yourself all the time. Whenever he fretted over you like this, you were suddenly 8 again, peering bleary-eyed into the box of Barbie bandaids. 

He seemed to reel back when he heard your voice, tiny and soft. 

“I- I’m sorry I shouted at you,” he said, his voice shaky as he calmed down, moving his glasses up out of the way as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand. 

When he placed the glasses back on his nose and looked at you, at your wide, slightly damp eyes, he felt the guilt hit him like train. 

“Oh dear, I didn’t mean- oh gosh, I’m so sorry,” he said, his eyebrows lifting in concern. He jumped forward to take your hands in his, his cheeks dusting with pink. 

You sucked the tears back in before they had a chance to spill. “I’m good, don’t worry Harv! I know you were just worried. It’s just unusual to be cared for, especially the way you do,” you urged him, offering a smile of reassurance. 

He reluctantly mimicked your smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “...of course I care about you,” he finally said, your hands slipping from his as he pulled away to dig through a drawer. 

You studied him when his back was turned towards you. _He looked... tired,_ you observed. 

“You’re going to need some stitches, as well as a short break from walking while they heal. Before you argue,” he said quickly, and you shut your mouth a second after your lips parted, “you don’t have a say in the matter. You’re staying here for a while.” 

You decided it was for the best that complied and thus nodded along, even though he wasn’t facing you. 

-

You stared out the window of your hospital room. After you’d gotten your stitches, Harvey had to leave to go help another patient. You’d scrolled through your phone for a while, reading up on the kinds of fish that you’d be able to find in Winter. After some time, you’d gotten bored and taken a nap. Maru’s shift ended around the time you’d woken up again so she joined you next to your hospital bed. You played Connect 4 and Othello for a few hours while watching Sherlock on her laptop. Eventually, she had to leave so that she could be home in time for dinner. 

“I’ll catch you later, okay?” she said. “I’ll bring you leftovers of whatever dad whips up.” 

“Okay,” you agreed. “Thanks.”

When she stepped out, you were submerged in silence again and boy, did you hate the sterile environment within the hospital walls.

You wondered if Harvey would be annoyed if you hung out in his room instead. 

Gently and carefully, you threw your legs over the edge of the bed and slid onto your uninjured one. Hand against the wall for support, you hopped down past the door of your hospital room, down the marble hall, and towards the double door preceding Harvey’s apartment. 

It was after hours, so he was probably home. 

You knocked on the door, and it creaked open, unlocked. You hobbled in, smiling when you found him knocked out on his bed. 

He always seemed to push himself so hard. You were happy that he was taking a revitalizing nap. 

Slowly, in order not to wake him, you pulled the chair back from under his desk to sit. Balancing on one foot was tiring you out faster than you would’ve liked to admit. 

Once you were seated comfortable in the padded chair, you let out a sigh and glanced over at Harvey again. 

He lay sprawled out on the bedspread like a starfish, still wearing his medical coat. His glasses were crooked on his face, misplaced on the slope of his sharp nose. His mustache was trimmed short and neat, like the protagonist in the Italian movies Penny loved watching with you. 

You smiled affectionately at the doctor that worried about you so often and so deeply, before your eyes caught something new of interest. 

On top of his shelf, between two model airplanes, was a pastel pink envelope. In messy, swirly letters were the words “to the farmer” scribbled on the front... and it was not sealed. 

-

**How much harm could a little peek do? - Chapter 11**

**You fought the urge to intrude on Harvey’s privacy. - Chapter 10**


	8. Pancakes for Breakfast

You hold back your urge to play along, not wanting to mislead or overcomplicate things. After all, Sam is one of your best friends. The thought of becoming anything more was... discomforting to say the least. You didn’t want to consider it. Besides, he was a naturally flirtatious guy. It was unlikely for him to be attracted to you anyway. 

“That pancake mix looks more like a soup,” you said, changing the subject as you gestured to the bowl in his head with your chin.

“Ah,” he said, noting his disastrous concoction, “I’ve never been much of a cook. The side effects of being spoiled by mom, I guess.”

“Scooch over,” you ordered, stepping to take his place by the stovetop, gently taking the bowl from his hand and pushing him back with your hip. He complied without arguing, watching you curiously as you flitted about the kitchen, fixing the watery mix with flour and a little extra sugar. 

When you reached into the bottom drawer of the refrigerator to grab an egg, you felt Sam’s eyes on you, heavy and nerve wracking. 

Recently, it seemed as if he was always looking at you. 

“You’re amazing,” he said in awe as you poured two circles onto the lightly buttered pan. “Whenever I make pancakes, I always burn the butter. Or the pancakes.”

“You gotta make sure the heat isn’t too high,” you said, twirling the spatula in your hand as you glanced up to meet his eyes. 

He smiled, a softer smile than his usual crooked grin, a closed-mouth smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. You both stared at each other for a few long seconds, and despite yourself, you found yourself smiling back at him. 

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi,” you said.

He sighed suddenly, his cheeks dusting with a faint pink, before he reached up to rub the back of his neck. “Farmer... I... I’ve wanted to tell you something...”

You await his response, tilting your head like a puppy. That makes him blush harder. 

“Ugh, well...”

Before he gets a chance to finish his sentence, Abigail’s footsteps echo across the wood floors.

He glances nervously towards the source of the sound and shakes his head, thinking twice about what he wants to say before clumsily changing the subject. “You should write down the pancake recipe for me, I could use it.”

“Huh?” you said, confused, but he was already darting towards Abby, who had just appeared from around the corner. 

“What’s up, nerds?” she asked, tossing a lazy smile at you as Sam threw an arm over her shoulder. 

“Just making pancakes with Sam,” you said, still looking at him with your eyebrows furrowed. He wouldn’t meet your eyes. 

“Ooh, which one is mine?” Abby asked, peering at the griddle on the stovetop. 

Allowing the odd exchange from earlier drop from your mind, you toss her a sugary smile before pointing to a stray drop of mix on the pan.

“This one,” you said sweetly before flipping the tiny speck of batter over to brown the other side. 

She laughed, and Sam laughed along with her, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes this time. 

-

The four of you took your time eating the breakfast Abby and Sebastian helped you prepare. Sam tried to help too but he had constantly halted to process to ask for help. Eventually you just banished him towards dish-washing duty. 

“You’re an amazing cook,” Sam marveled, dousing his pancakes with maple syrup. 

“It’s just pancakes,” you laughed, but you were grateful for the compliment. 

“I’m glad you took over,” Sebastian noted, “last time I ate Sam’s cooking, I got food poisoning.”

He glared at his best friend who had the sense to shove another forkful of breakfast in his mouth and avoid eye contact. 

“So, farmer, what’s on the agenda for today?” Abigail asked.

-

**Visit the blacksmith to crack open some geodes. - Chapter 9**

**Visit Pierre’s to buy some seeds. - Chapter 16 (Route 1)**


	9. Clint’s Request

After breakfast, you headed into town to crack open some geodes at the blacksmith’s.

“Hey Clint,” you said, “how are you?”

“Oh you know, same old,” he said gloomily, shrugging his shoulders as he drew smiley faces into the dust on his workbench.

“Any progression in your romance with Emily?” you asked.

You watched him perk up at the mention of her name, making you chuckle softly.

He turned beet red quickly. “Well, to be honest...”

His shoulders drooped again. “...not really. I get too nervous to speak when I’m around her.”

“Aww, that’s cute,” you crooned, handing him a few of the egg-shaped rocks for him to crack open.

He took them in his large, calloused palm absentmindedly, excited for any opportunity to receive advice on a possible romance with his blue-haired crush.

“I was thinking... I don’t know... I could ask her out for drinks if... maybe you could help me not make a fool of myself?” he sputtered, pausing occasionally to crack open another geode.

You smiled encouragingly. “I doubt you’d make a fool of yourself, but I’m happy to help if you need me. How could I be of assistance?”

“Well, I was thinking about a double date. That way you can help if I don’t know what to say.”

Your eyes widened at this proposition. “A double date? But Clint, you’re forgetting I don’t have a love life. Who would I ask?”

He handed you the artifacts and bits of clay from the open geodes as you fished in your backpack for some cash.

“I know Shane definitely doesn’t hate you anymore. Plus, he’s at the saloon all the time,” he suggested.

“I don’t know why everyone suddenly decided he doesn’t hate me anymore when he only _just_ started talking to me,” you said incredulously. “We’re really going from 0 to 100 real fast, huh?”

“Aw, come on farmer, you know he never despised you, he’s just a little rough around the edges.”

There it was again. RoUgH aRoUnD tHe EdgEs. You caught yourself before you had a chance to roll your eyes.

Squinting at Clint suspiciously, you wondered if he was suggesting Shane as your date because he danced with Emily at the Flower Dance and wanted to dismiss the competition.

“If you say yes, I’ll figure out a way to get him to be there. You just have to show up!” he urged.

You handed Clint the payment for his service before staring up at his eager expression.

-

**”Oh, alright. I’ll give it a shot tonight.”  
** \- If you approached Shane in the café, go to Chapter 18 (Route 1)  
\- If you went straight home to Stardew Valley, go to Chapter 19 (Route 2) 

**“I don’t know about this...” - Chapter TBA**


	10. Harvey’s Apartment

You sigh. As intriguing as the situation is, you acknowledge that if the letter is addressed to you, Harvey will give it to you when he wants to. Or maybe he won’t. 

Oh, it is tempting. 

You glance at it once more, then chastise yourself for even having the thought. 

Looking away to distract yourself, your gaze settles on a photograph taped to the side of Harvey’s desk, dusty from age and with the edges of the tape peeling up from the wood.

It’s a photo of him and Maru. She’s laughing, her skin aglow under the sun. Harvey is looking at her in the picture, his eyes crinkled in admiration. 

You wonder why it never worked out between them. You knew Harvey wasn’t really Maru’s type, but you never understood how it was possible for two people to be so close, so similar, and not fall in love. 

You folded your arms atop the desk before resting your head on them, still looking at the photo. 

Harvey looked much younger in the picture. His sunburnt shoulders were bonier and he didn’t have his signature mustache. His hair was combed neatly to the side, shining under the rays of the sun. 

He looked a lot less tired. 

Your eyelids growing heavy, you thought about the way Harvey was living. How he had been alone for so long in this town. How there was no one who really talked to him other than Maru, and even she preferred the company of others to his. You felt a pang of sympathy in your chest.

How terribly lonely it must be to be Harvey. 

You wondered if there was a way you could lift his spirits as his breathing slowly lulled you to sleep. 

-

You wake up to the smell of coffee and cologne and a ceiling covered in wallpaper you don’t recognize. 

“Wha-“

In a panic, you glance around the room, and upon finding rows of model airplanes and shelves filled with books about medicine, you relax. 

Then, you panic again. 

_What am I doing in Harvey’s bed?_

You grit your teeth as you hoist yourself into a sitting position to rest against the headboard. Unfortunately, the dull throbbing from the stitches was less numb now, an annoying sharp pain traveling up your leg from from the healing wound. 

Apparently your hiss of discomfort was not as muted as you thought, because Harvey quickly came bounding in. 

“You’re awake!” he cried, a cup of coffee in hand and a breakfast complete with pancakes and hashbrowns. “I wasn’t sure how you like your coffee... or if you even like coffee?” 

He sputters nervously and you glance up at him with a smile on your face. You can’t help but feel a swell of affection for the doctor. He is so kind, always. Even putting others before himself whenever he can.

“You didn’t have to prepare all this for me, Harv,” you said softly, looking up at him with wide eyes. 

He smiles shyly. “I wanted to. Besides, you have to take care of yourself if you want to get better.”

He pulls his desk chair up next to the bed and sits beside you as you bring the coffee to your lips. You note with pleasant surprise that he somehow got the proportions of milk to sugar just right. 

“You’re the sweetest guy,” you say, and he blushes. “Really, you are. And I’m sorry for falling asleep at your desk. You didn’t have to move me here.”

He shook his head rapidly. “N-no don’t worry! It was no trouble. Those hospital beds aren’t the comfiest, I know.”

He’s talking quickly, feeling a little awkward to have you in his bed. You sense something else in his behavior too, something you can’t quite put your finger on. Something close to contentment. 

You wonder if it’s simply his love of caring for others. 

“So,” he says, twiddling his thumbs as his green eyes dart between your face and the floor, unsure of where to look. “What are your plans for the day?”

-

**Visit the blacksmith to crack open some geodes. - Chapter 9**

**Visit Pierre’s to buy some seeds. - Chapter 17 (Route 2)**


	11. Secret Letter

At first, you tell yourself it isn’t your business, but upon further thought decide it is, in fact, completely your business. 

Or... it feels like it is? Maybe?

You push away your internal ethical scale, uprooting it for your unruly curiosity. Gently, you pick up the pink envelope. It’s lighter than you expected and you wonder if there’s anything inside at all. 

You lift the unsealed flap to check and realize there is, in fact, a small piece of paper in there. 

Suddenly, Harvey stirs lightly in his sleep and your heart leaps in your chest, your heartbeat resounding throughout your body. As curious as you were, you still didn’t want to get caught snooping. 

Quickly, you pulled the letter from the envelope and unfolded it, careful not to make a sound.

In messy, swirly handwriting was a short paragraph addressed to you. 

_Dearest farmer,  
I realize this may come as a surprise to you but I have to tell you. I can’t spend my whole life dwelling on this regret. On the chance that maybe, just maybe, you reciprocate the way I feel for you. When I first saw you, I fell in love. I know that may seem hard to believe, especially since you don’t believe in love at first sight and I’m admittedly not the most popular bachelor in town, but I didn’t believe in love at first sight either. Not until I met you. I won’t blame you at all if you don’t feel the same way, and I apologize if I made you uncomfortable in any way. I just couldn’t go another day without telling you.  
Yours,  
Harvey_

Your hand finds its way on your mouth and you shake your head in disbelief.

You glance up at the man that’s fast asleep beside you before hurriedly shoving the paper back in the envelope and placing it back in it’s original place.

You knew you were oblivious but you didn’t know you were _this_ oblivious.

You thought back to when you first met Harvey. You were leaning against the front desk of the hospital, nonchalantly stating words of praise for the work he’d done for the villagers. 

“You’re doing amazing things for the people of this town,” you’d said, “I really admire you.”

He’d smiled, his eyes shining behind his glasses, and shook his head. “I could always do more.”

“Don’t discredit yourself,” you replied, reaching over to pat his hand gently. “Few people are as selfless as you are.”

You remembered the way he blushed, the way he tripped over his words.

He really did like you. Perhaps he even loved you, though it seemed hard to believe.

You shifted your weight onto one foot as you pulled yourself back into a standing position. It suddenly felt odd to be in Harvey’s apartment when he was fast asleep beside you.

You hobbled back down the hall and into the hospital room you were in before, collapsing on the bed with a grunt.

Between your aching wound and the letter, your mind was swimming with thoughts as you drifted into a restless sleep.

-

“Hey, farmer, wake up,” a voice sliced through the pleasant dream you were having.

“Huh?” you said, cracking an eye open to find Maru’s face inches from yours.

“Ah!” you gasped, pulling away in surprise and shock.

She smirked victoriously before dropping a plastic shopping bag with food, eating utensils, a toothbrush, and toothpaste into your lap. She’s wearing her nurse uniform, alluding to the fact that she’s supposed to be working.

“Brought you all the necessities,” she sang, “purely out of the goodness of my heart.”

“Wow, I’m moved to tears,” you said sarcastically, flashing her a smirk of your own before tearing into the food. You didn’t realize how hungry you were until you smelled Demetrius’ shepherd’s pie. 

“I’m sorry, I think I misheard you. Did you say ‘gosh Maru, you’re the best person in all of Stardew Valley, in the world even! Thank you for being the Batman to my Robin, the Easter to my egg-‘“ 

“Shut uppp!” you laughed, pushing her away lightly. 

She lay the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically. “Oh, woe! She silences me!”

“I wish!”

“Well, your wish is my command,” she chuckles, “I have to get back to work.” 

She throws a hand up to wave at you from over her shoulder as she heads back to the main room of the hospital. 

After she leaves, you scarf down the rest of the leftovers in the Tupperware container before you consider the course of action for the day. 

-

**Visit the blacksmith to crack open some geodes. - Chapter 9**

**Visit Pierre’s to buy some seeds. - Chapter 17 (Route 2)**


	12. An Unexpected Exchange

You shoot him a cocky smile. 

Two can play at that game.

“You sure are desperate for my attention,” you commented, your voice low to avoid waking up Abigail and Sebastian. “If you want it so bad, all you have to do is ask.”

Sam didn’t seem to anticipate this type of response and his cheeks dusted the lightest pink.

“If I want...? Oh,” he said lamely, then in an effort to recover from the surprise, shot you a feeble smirk. “The loneliness must be getting to you if you think I’m desperate.”

You send him a far more convincing smirk before taking a few steps towards him. He took a step back unconsciously until he was backed into the kitchen counter. He placed his hands on either side of the counter behind him as you slowly, without breaking eye contact, pressed your body into his. 

The pink in his cheeks quickly burned bright red and he gulped audibly. “W-what are you-?”

You smiled innocently, holding up the spatula you picked up from the counter behind him as an explanation. 

“Sorry for insinuating that you were desperate,” you crooned, “it wasn’t the right word...”

You leaned in closer. “...you’re absolutely _starved_.”

His eyes were wide, his heart beating madly in his chest. You relished the sudden tightness of his jeans where his hips met your stomach.

You watched the gears in his head restart as he struggled to find something, anything, to say, but you simply pulled away and went to grab more margarine from the refrigerator.

Finally, he found his voice. 

“What was that?” he croaked, in utter disbelief. What you had done was utterly uncharacteristic. Sure, you’d flirted with him before, but never like this. 

“What was what?” Abigail asked, stepping in as she was tying her hair up into a ponytail. 

“Nothing,” you and Sam said quickly, the simultaneous response causing a slow mischievous grin to crawl onto her face as she glanced between the two of you. 

“Did something happen while I was asleep?” she sang.

“Of course not,” Sam sputtered. 

“Nothing happened,” you agreed.

“Then why are you _beet red_?” 

“I was- we were...” he wracked his brain, “...doing push-ups,” he finished lamely. 

“Yep, a push-up competition,” you tried to back him up, but Abigail had already jumped to her own conclusions. 

“...Y’all are totally fucking.”

“What!? No!” 

-

The four of you took your time eating the breakfast Abby and Sebastian helped you prepare. Sam tried to help too but he had constantly halted to process to ask for help. Eventually you just banished him towards dish-washing duty. 

“You’re an amazing cook,” Sam marveled, dousing his pancakes with maple syrup. 

“It’s just pancakes,” you laughed, but you were grateful for the compliment. 

You both were doing your best to pretend like nothing happened earlier but Abigail kept glancing between the two of you with a smug expression. For this reason, you just couldn’t meet Sam’s eyes.

“I’m glad you took over,” Sebastian noted, “last time I ate Sam’s cooking, I got food poisoning.”

He glared at his best friend who had the sense to shove another forkful of breakfast in his mouth and avoid uttering a snarky reply. 

Abigail rolled her eyes before changing the subject. 

“So, farmer,” she asked, “what’s on the agenda for today?” 

-

**Visit the blacksmith’s to crack open some geodes. - Chapter 9**

**Visit Pierre’s to buy some seeds. - Chapter 16 (Route 1)**


	13. A Best Friend

You pull away, and immediately feel a pang in your chest when his eyes flood with hurt.

“Sam,” you say, your voice heavy in your throat. You hated this. You didn’t want to do this to him. “I like you, I really do, but... I can’t.”

He lets out a shuddering breath he’d been holding in before staring into the fire. 

“I know,” he said. His voice was low, quiet. 

“You’re one of my best friends,” you said desperately, “I do care for you so, so deeply. You make me laugh and... I just... I don’t want things to change.”

His head drooped a little, his expression blank.

“I’m so sorry. Are... are we still going to be friends?” you asked. 

He lifted his chin up then, looking at you with a sudden wide smile, though his eyes were still glossy. 

“Of course!” he said with false enthusiasm. He was really trying not to let you know how hurt he was. “I’m not going to be an asshole and act like you’re not one of my best friends because you don’t love me like that.”

You stared at him, at his glossy eyes and false smile and couldn’t help but reach and pull him into a tight hug. 

“Thank you,” you whisper in his ear, “for always being there. And for just being you.”

“Always,” he whispered back.

-

After the exchange from earlier, Sam had pulled up a movie for the both of you to watch to avoid talking for awhile. Unfortunately, you were both so emotionally drained that your hearts weren’t in it. 

Halfway through, you glanced over at him to find him fast asleep on the couch beside you. 

You paused the movie and got up to grab a blanket and drape it over his tall, lithe frame before scuffling over to your own bed and collapsing on it in a heap.

Man, you were tired. Physically and mentally. There was just so much that happened today. 

You rolled over and stared at your ceiling, eyebrows furrowing in frustration. 

Why had you turned Sam down? You couldn’t deny it, there had been moments where he looked at you in a certain way and you’d wonder if maybe... just maybe... there was something between the two of you. 

But today, it was clear that it was nothing more than a few fleeting moments and senseless stray thoughts. 

Oddly, the man you actually found yourself thinking about was... 

-

**...Alex. - Go to chapter TBA.**

**...Harvey. - Go to chapter TBA.**


	14. A Morning with the Mullners

_C’mon, don’t be a pussy,_ you thought to yourself.

Besides, every time you _did_ have an injury, it seemed to heal remarkably fast. What made this time any different? 

You steadied yourself slowly, knees a little wobbly from the sharp pain by your ankle.

Ah, shit, this definitely would slow down your activities for the day. 

Gingerly, careful not to place too much pressure on your injured leg, you went about your morning routine, wrapping the cut into fresh bandages before you grabbed a basket from a hook by your door and went to collect the tulips you had grown in your greenhouse. Evelyn loved them and you were sure she’d be thrilled to see such bright and colorful flowers in the dismally cold weather. 

-

“Coming!” a muffled voice shouted from behind the wooden door you had just knocked on. 

You were greeted with a warm rush of air as Evelyn pushed open the door, the scent of rose and jasmine perfume wafting off her cardigan.

“Oh my goodness, you poor thing! You came all this way in the cold!” she cried, pulling you inside by tugging on your sleeve with her small, frail hand. You tried your best not to wince at the unexpected step as she continued. “Come in! Come in! I just baked cookies too, far too many may I add.”

You shook away the pain in your leg and returned her pleasant, closed-eyed smile. “I brought you some tulips, fresh from my greenhouse!”

Her little hands flew up to her mouth in surprise. “Oh my! For me? These are so lovely! Thank you for thinking of me, dearest.” 

“I always think about you,” you replied, “where do you keep the vases? I’ll put them in water for you.”

The next ten minutes were spent chit chatting with Evelyn about gardening as you trimmed the stems of the tulips and added them to the vase, then began flitting about the kitchen as best you could, trying to get things done for her so she could relax. 

“Goodness, if only I had you around all the time. My eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be,” she remarked sadly, giving in as you took the dish from her hand to wash it yourself. “You never know how hard it is to have something until it’s gone.”

Your heart ached for the sweet woman. She seemed to see more beauty in this town than 75% of the villagers combined. It was admirable to say the least. You worried for her and wished you could make things easier for her. 

Just as you thought this, Evelyn’s grandson strode into the room, his damp brown hair plastered to his forehead, fresh out of the shower. 

“I smelled cookies,” he chirped cheerfully, beaming at his grandma, then upon seeing you, dish in hand, his smile dropped from his face. 

His eyes darted between you and her, gaze darkening. You were confused as to why your presence was so off putting, but before you could say anything about it, his face immediately lit up again with a lazy grin.

“Grandma, you didn’t have to ask her to do the dishes. I could’ve done them,” he said, his voice falsely light and nonchalant. 

You frown. 

-

**“She didn’t. Why wait until someone asks to help?” - Chapter 15**

**Stay out of it. - Chapter TBA**


	15. A Brief Confrontation

“She didn’t,” you clarified with a frown. “Why wait until someone asks to help?” 

Alex reeled at this, stepping closer to you. “What are you trying to say?” 

“Nothing,” you said, rolling your eyes as you turned back to the dishes. 

“You’re dead wrong if you’re implying that I don’t help out my grandma,” he continued, shaky anger in his voice. 

“Sweetheart, don’t lose your temper,” Evelyn interjected, “she was only trying to help.”

You looked back at the well-built young man in front of you, at his damp hair and dewy skin. His eyebrows were furrowed, green eyes flat with an anger you’d never seen in him before. 

Your snide comment died on your tongue when you noticed the way his jaw was set, teeth clenched to keep himself grounded. 

You’d never seen him help his grandma before but... maybe you had assumed wrong. 

“I’m sorry,” you said, opting for honesty. There was no use holding onto false pride. You lowered your voice so that Evelyn couldn’t hear. “I just... worry about her.”

Alex’s defensive look faltered, and for a brief second, he looked more sad than angry, but the second passed so quickly you weren’t even sure it happened at all. 

“And you think I don’t?” he replied, his voice also low enough that his grandma couldn’t hear. He cleared his throat before continuing at a normal volume. “Anyway, the point is that you don’t know me. So don’t act like you do.”

“Alex!” Evelyn snapped, aghast at her grandson’s candor. “That’s no way to speak to my guest and dear friend! Go to your room!”

You were a little upset with how Alex had confronted you, but you couldn’t deny that it was sweet how he immediately folded under his grandma’s order. 

“I’m sorry!” he said, reaching down to hug the tiny woman seated at the kitchen table. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

She gave a light pat to his muscular arm, shaking her head dismissively. “I know, but I’m still disappointed. To your room, please.” 

He nodded, turning to leave the kitchen, but not before sending you a discreet glare. 

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Evelyn apologized. “He’s a good boy, even if he’s a little misguided at times.”

“I’m sure he is,” you said softly, placing the last clean dish on the drying rack as you turned to face her. 

“Ah, but I hear the doubt in your voice,” she chuckled, pausing briefly as she contemplated her next words. “He... he does help me. Late at night. He’ll stay up late to get chores done for me so that I don’t have to do them. He just doesn’t do them when I’m awake because he knows I’ll fuss about it and try to take over.”

You felt a sinking guilt upon hearing these words. What gave you the right to form an assumption? You were an outsider too! 

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume.”

“It’s alright, I know you had my best interests at heart,” she said sweetly, “don’t worry about it too much. He’s never upset for long.”

You ducked your head in shame. 

“I’ll try.”

Evelyn smiled at your bowed head. 

“You know, if it bothers you so much, you can go talk to him. He forgives easily.”

You perk up a little bit. 

-

**Apologize for your mishap. - Chapter 20**

**He shouldn’t have gotten so angry when all you were trying to do was help. - Chapter TBA**


	16. Pierre’s Shop (Route 1)

“I’m gonna go to Pierre’s. I need some seeds for Spring,” you replied. “I heard the snow will clear up by the end of the week.”

“Say hi to dad for me,” Abigail commented over Sam’s celebratory cheers in anticipation for Spring. 

“Damn, I can’t wait until I can get back out on my skateboard again!”

“Imagine being excited about going outside,” Sebastian groaned. 

“Don’t lie and pretend you aren’t excited to sneak out and smoke,” Abigail snapped at him, throwing a tater tot at his head. 

Sam’s eyes lit up, interpreting this as the blossoming of chaos, and he scooped up a pancake in the palm of his hand. “Food fight?” 

“No!” the rest of you shouted in unison. 

-

You pushed your way into Pierre’s shop, the bell overhead the door chiming with its familiar “ding!” 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the farmer herself! It’s been a while since you stopped by!” he called from behind the counter across from you. 

“Hey Pierre, how are you?” 

“As good as I can be in Winter. You know how slow business tends to be this time of year.”

You nodded sympathetically at the bespectacled man who was flipping through the catalog he had designed for his shop, probably admiring his handiwork. 

“By the way, Abigail told me to tell you ‘hi’,” you said, and at this, he sighed. 

“I wish she’d come by and tell me that herself for a change.”

You didn’t know what to say to that, so you pretended to be busy investigating one of the shelves, stocked up with different kinds of rice. You stepped back to take in all the choices, bumping into something behind you. 

Er- someone. 

“Sorry,” you said, the apology leaving your mouth before you turned around all the way. 

When you did, you were met with a tall, well-built figure. 

“Oh, hi Alex,” you chirped, grinning at the handsome man before you. You recalled the conversation you’d had with Abigail the night before, hoping you’d get a chance to get to know the guy a little better. 

“Hey babe,” he said nonchalantly, and you felt your cheeks flush with heat in response to the careless way he tossed the word at you. “You’ve got a nice tan going, even though it’s Winter. How _do_ you do it?”

You hoped he wasn’t able to tell how embarrassed you got when he flirted like that and tried changing the subject. 

“H-how’s Evelyn?” you asked. “I didn’t get a chance to visit her these last few days.”

You tried to visit Evelyn often, but made a point to avoid visiting when Alex was there, and he was home a lot more in Winter. You’d always assumed he was shallow and 2-dimensional... plus you were uninterested in running into any awkward encounters. Of course, your conversation with Abigail skewed your perspective a bit. You figured he probably wasn’t all that bad. 

“Grandma’s good. Although she does miss you. She talks about you a lot,” he said, his voice suddenly changing from the boisterous tone he normally carried to something softer and more tender. “It’s weird though, she says you’re always over but I almost never see you.”

You sputtered as you tried to think of a good response to this. You could tell him the truth, though that _could_ go horribly wrong. Or you could just lie about why you never stop by when he’s home. 

-

**Truth. - Chapter TBA**

**Lie. - Chapter TBA**


	17. Pierre’s Shop (Route 2)

You had decided to head to Pierre’s for some seeds. It was the last week of Winter and the snow would be clearing up soon. You knew that Pierre would stock up on Spring seeds for you early this year. He’d been excitedly insinuating it for a while. 

When you pushed your way into Pierre’s shop, the bell overhead the door chiming with its familiar “ding!” 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the farmer herself! It’s been a while since you stopped by!” he called from behind the counter across from you. 

“Hey Pierre, how are you?” 

“As good as I can be in Winter. You know how slow business tends to be this time of year.”

You nodded sympathetically at the bespectacled man who was flipping through the catalog he had designed for his shop, probably admiring his handiwork. 

“By the way, have you seen Abigail at all?” he asked. “She hasn’t stopped by for a while now.”

You felt guilt settle into your stomach. You were supposed to hang out with her, Sebastian, and Sam after the trip to Zuzu City the day before yesterday, but you’d gotten caught up with Shane. 

Oh well. You knew she’d forgive you once you told her about how distraught Shane was. 

“Sorry Pierre, I haven’t seen her,” you said, and he frowned. 

“That girl never visits anymore. You’d think after years of raising her and putting a roof over her head that she’d come by and see her parents every once and a while.”

You didn’t know what to say to that, so you pretended to be busy investigating one of the shelves, stocked up with different kinds of rice. You stepped back to take in all the choices, bumping into something behind you. 

Er- someone. 

“Sorry,” you said, the apology leaving your mouth before you turned around all the way. 

When you did, you were met with a tall, well-built figure. 

“Oh, hi Alex,” you said, smiling politely at the handsome man before you. 

You didn’t particularly like him all that much... he’d always come across as pretty shallow. It was hard to want to get to know a guy who only seemed to care about himself.

“Hey babe,” he said nonchalantly, and you felt your cheeks flush with heat in response to the careless way he tossed the word at you. “You’ve got a nice tan going, even though it’s Winter. How _do_ you do it?”

You hoped he wasn’t able to tell how embarrassed you got when he flirted like that and tried changing the subject. 

“H-how’s Evelyn?” you asked. “I didn’t get a chance to visit her these last few days.”

You tried to visit Evelyn often, but made a point to avoid visiting when Alex was there, and he was home a lot more in Winter. Besides finding him to have a big ego and a 2-dimensional personality, you were uninterested in running into any awkward encounters with him. 

“Grandma’s good. Although she does miss you. She talks about you a lot,” he said, his voice suddenly changing from the boisterous tone he normally carried to something softer and more tender. “It’s weird though, she says you’re always over but I almost never see you.”

You sputtered as you tried to think of a good response to this. You could tell him the truth, though that _could_ go horribly wrong. Or you could just lie about why you never stop by when he’s home. 

-

**Truth. - Chapter TBA**

**Lie. - Chapter TBA**


	18. A Double Date (Route 1)

You slipped on the rose dress you rarely had an opportunity to wear, fussing with the gold earrings as you made your way to the foyer of your house. You were nervous, to say the least, about this impromptu double date.

Clint had gotten Shane to agree to the date but told him it was a blind double date, only making you regret this decision more than ever. Why couldn’t he have gotten him to agree on the terms that it would be _you_ he’d be on a date with? Now there was so much _pressure_. 

You tried not to think about the look on his face when he’d lay his eyes on you and slipped on your onyx heels and pea coat before you headed down to the saloon. 

-

You stepped into the saloon and out of the chilly night air, the warmth welcoming against your cold skin, though it did make your eyes water a bit. 

You blearily peered around the room, bustling with activity. Leah and Elliot were sitting at a table, talking animatedly about art and literature, while the mayor and Marnie sat at another, pretending their relationship was still secret. 

Eventually, your eyes settled at a table furthest to the right. 

There, Clint looked rather flustered as Emily and Shane engaged in polite conversation. Upon seeing you, Clint lit up. 

“Oh, it’s the farmer! Hey!” he shouted, far too loud and enthusiastic, making several of the patrons glance at you in curiosity. 

You suddenly felt incredibly stupid in your fancy dress, heat rising up to your face. 

“You look lovely,” Gus said, and the compliment soothed your nerves a bit. 

“T-thank you,” you said to him, avoiding everyone’s eyes but Shane’s as you finally looked at him. 

He was looking at you with an unreadable expression, but as you drew nearer to his table, you realized he was blushing a little bit. 

The look gave you a burst of confidence. 

“Hi sweetpea!” Emily chirped, jumping up to throw her arms around you. “You look gorgeous!”

“It’s great you see you,” Clint agreed, a little too desperately. 

Shane didn’t say anything, now staring at the Joja Cola in his hand rather than at you. 

You smiled when you met Clint’s watery eyes and slight pout, a silent plea to spark a conversation between him and Emily. 

“You also look absolutely beautiful Em, as always,” you said sweetly. “I’m pretty sure Clint has a collection of gemstones with various shades of blue, similar to the hues in your dress.”

“Really?” she cried, looking at him with big, excited eyes, and he turned red upon receiving so much of her attention. “I’ve been hunting for aquamarine as of late! Where would you suggest I look for them?”

“W-well, have you ever gone mining?” he said, and you smiled in triumph. 

As the two of them slipped into conversation about gemstones, you turned to Shane, who was now smirking at you a little bit. 

“What?” 

“I see what’s going on here,” he said. 

“Not sure what you mean,” you replied innocently. 

He swirled the drink around the can in his hand lazily, propping his body weight onto his elbow. “You and I are just here to set those two up.”

Your eyes widened. How he’d been able to pick that up so fast, you didn’t know. 

“I mean, I knew you’d figure it out, but I didn’t expect you to be so quick about it,” you admitted. 

He chuckled. “It’s not like you’d willingly go on a date with me otherwise.”

The statement hung in the air heavily and you frowned. You didn’t like this self-pity. It didn’t look good on him. 

“Why is that?” you asked.

He seemed surprised at the unexpected nature of your question. 

“Uh... well...” he muttered, the slight blush returning to his cheeks, “you know... you’re you... and I’m me.”

You feigned a look of ignorance. “Still not following.” 

“Ugh,” he groaned, rubbing his face in embarrassment. “Never mind.”

You laughed at this, and the corners of his mouth temporarily quirked up to mimic yours before he pulled his expression flat again. 

“Tell me,” you urged. 

“You’re just really... put together. And uh...,” he paused, searching for an alternative to a word he was clearly reluctant to use, but the word slipped out anyway, much to his chagrin, “...perfect.”

You gaped at this and he shot you a look of great discomfort that forced your jaw shut. Shane had never said something this nice to you before... ever. 

“I’m not perfect,” you said, and you meant it. 

“Yeah, whatever, eating junk food once a week or sleeping in for an hour doesn’t count,” he murmured. 

“I’m really not,” you urged, and he met your eyes as you pushed forward with sincerity, “Shane, every single person in this room is far from perfect. Some people are just better at hiding their mistakes.”

“I’ll say.”

“You’re not as flawed as you believe yourself to be, either.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I’m serious. Look at you. You haven’t touched a beer in ages. Anyway, I haven’t seen you often outside the saloon but I’m sure you have other hobbies and interests.”

A thoughtful look passed over his face, and he smiled the slightest bit. It was the first time you’d really seen him smile. 

“I guess,” he said, and you felt the slightest blush rise up on your face as your cheeks heated. “...Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’ve never seen you smile before,” you admitted. 

Now you were both blushing. Neither of you had expected the night to play like this. 

“Obsessed with me, much?” he said, but his teasing had no trace of bitterness at all. 

You smirked. “What if I said I was?” 

You kept the smirk plastered to your face even though your heart was beating a mile a minute. _What on earth are you doing, farmer?_

“Why worry about hypotheticals anyway?” he said, and brought the can to his lips, which were quirked in an amused smile. 

You wracked your brain for a response, but was thankfully interrupted by Gus. 

“Would any of you like to buy a drink,” he asked, pointedly avoiding Shane’s eyes, “or something to eat?”

As the three of them placed their orders, you studied Shane. 

He had the remnants of a former athlete: broad shoulders, messy, boy-like hair, and athletic sneakers that reminded you more of a high school sports team than a dad doing yard work. Between the tousled hair and gym shoes was a suit he’d worn specifically for this date, and you couldn’t deny it, he looked good. 

As your eyes traced up the buttons of his shirt, past the stubbled jaw, you found yourself meeting his eyes again. He’d caught you checking him out. 

He was smirking, the kind of smirk that made you want to punch him. “Um?”

“‘Um’ what?” you snapped, mortified. “I was thinking about how dumb you look.”

You fooled no one and now it was his turn to laugh. 

Yoba, his laugh was amazing. A chorus of angels.

You turned back to the plate of pasta Gus had placed in front of you, wondering. Clint and Emily seemed to be hitting it off, and you and Shane... well...

-

**Ask him if he wants to get out of here. - Chapter TBA**

**Opt for an evening of shameless flirting at the saloon. - Chapter 23**


	19. A Double Date (Route 2)

You slipped on the rose dress you rarely had an opportunity to wear, fussing with the gold earrings as you made your way to the foyer of your house. You were nervous, to say the least, about this impromptu double date.

Clint had gotten Shane to agree to the date but told him it was a blind double date, only making you regret this decision more than ever. Why couldn’t he have gotten him to agree on the terms that it would be _you_ he’d be on a date with? Now there was so much _pressure_. 

You tried not to think about the look on his face when he’d lay his eyes on you and slipped on your onyx heels and pea coat before you headed down to the saloon. 

-

You stepped into the saloon and out of the chilly night air, the warmth welcoming against your cold skin, though it did make your eyes water a bit. 

You blearily peered around the room, bustling with activity. Leah and Elliot were sitting at a table, talking animatedly about art and literature, while the mayor and Marnie sat at another, pretending their relationship was still secret. 

Eventually, your eyes settled at a table furthest to the right. 

There, Clint looked rather flustered as Emily and Shane engaged in polite conversation. Upon seeing you, Clint lit up. 

“Oh, it’s the farmer! Hey!” he shouted, far too loud and enthusiastic, making several of the patrons glance at you in curiosity. 

You suddenly felt incredibly stupid in your fancy dress, a heat rising up to your face. 

“You look lovely,” Gus said, and the compliment soothed your nerves a bit. 

“T-thank you,” you said to him, avoiding everyone’s eyes but Shane’s as you finally looked at him. 

He was looking at you with an unreadable expression, but as you drew nearer to his table, you realized his jaw was clenched tight. 

He looked like he didn’t want to be there.

The look withered away at your confidence. 

“Hi sweetpea!” Emily chirped, jumping up to throw her arms around you. “You look gorgeous!”

“It’s great you see you,” Clint agreed, a little too desperately. 

Shane didn’t say anything, now staring at the Joja Cola in his hand rather than at you. 

You smiled weakly when you met Clint’s watery eyes and slight pout, a silent plea to spark a conversation between him and Emily. 

“You also look absolutely beautiful Em, as always,” you said sweetly. “I’m pretty sure Clint has a collection of gemstones with various shades of blue, similar to the hues in your dress.”

“Really?” she cried, looking at him with big, excited eyes, and he turned red upon receiving so much of her attention. “I’ve been hunting for aquamarine as of late! Where would you suggest I look for them?”

“W-well, have you ever gone mining?” he said, and you felt a rush of triumph at having succeeded in making it work between them, followed by a sinking dread when you realized you’d have to talk to Shane now. 

As the two of them slipped into conversation about gemstones, you turned to Shane, who was now studying the nutrition label on his can, pretending to be immersed in it.

“So...” you tried.

“I see what’s going on here,” he interrupted, and you raised your eyebrows. 

“Not sure what you mean,” you replied.

He swirled the drink around the can in his hand lazily, propping his body weight onto his elbow. “You and I are just here to set those two up.”

Your eyes widened. How he’d been able to pick that up so fast, you didn’t know. 

“I mean, I knew you’d figure it out, but I didn’t expect you to be so quick about it,” you admitted. 

He frowned, still avoiding your eyes. “It’s not like you’d willingly go on a date with me otherwise.”

The statement hung in the air heavily and you frowned. You didn’t like this self-pity. It didn’t look good on him. 

“Why is that?” you asked.

He seemed surprised at the unexpected nature of your question. 

“Uh... well...” he muttered, his cheeks dusting a light pink, “you know... you’re you... and I’m me.”

You feigned a look of ignorance. “Still not following.” 

“Ugh,” he groaned, rubbing his face in embarrassment. “Never mind.”

You considered pushing him for answers, then decided against it. Instead, you changed the subject. Opting instead to ask him about the café in Zuzu City.

“So... two days ago. Zuzu City. I was there with my girlfriends and I saw you,” you admitted. “What were you doing there?”

“Uhm, that’s none of your business?” he said, and you felt immediate embarrassment for having felt like you were owed an explanation.

“Oh... fair.”

There was a heavy silence in which he studied you, suddenly feeling guilty for how he shut you down. 

“I... was trying to get away from this place.” He gestured around you. “Being around people that are drinking makes me crave a drink myself.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you said lamely. 

“It’s fine. My fuckup tendencies are common knowledge in this town at this point.”

You wracked your brain for a response, trying to find the right words to cheer him up, but was thankfully interrupted by Gus. 

“Would any of you like to buy a drink,” he asked, pointedly avoiding Shane’s eyes, “or something to eat?”

As the three of them placed their orders, you studied Shane. 

He had the remnants of a former athlete: broad shoulders, messy, boy-like hair, and athletic sneakers that reminded you more of a high school sports team than a dad doing yard work. Between the tousled hair and gym shoes was a suit he’d worn specifically for this date, and you couldn’t deny it, he looked good. 

As your eyes traced up the buttons of his shirt, past the stubbled jaw, you found yourself meeting his eyes again. He’d caught you checking him out. 

He was smirking, the kind of smirk that made you want to punch him. “Um?”

“‘Um’ what?” you snapped, mortified. “I was thinking about how dumb you look.”

Despite how utterly pathetic your excuse was, he still seemed to believe you because the smirk dropped from his face almost immediately. 

You frowned, feeling super guilty again. 

You turned back to the plate of pasta Gus had placed in front of you, wondering. Clint and Emily seemed to be hitting it off, and you and Shane... well... it certainly could be better. 

Maybe you could do something to cheer him up?

-

**Ask him if he wants to continue the date somewhere else. After all, the saloon might make him relapse. - Chapter TBA**

**Stay here. - Chapter TBA**


	20. Heart to Heart

You padded down the long hallway that led to Alex’s room, the pain in your leg screaming in protest the whole way. You were starting to regret not going to see Harvey but... it was too late now. 

You swallowed nervously. To be honest, you hadn’t been in a guy’s room in a long time, and you’d _never_ been in Alex’s. The thought set you on edge a little bit. You knew it was a little irrational but you couldn’t help it.

When you reached his doorway, you peered in anxiously, not really sure what to expect. Alex was sitting on the edge of his bed, a book in hand. You didn’t know he was the reading type. In fact, you’d always assumed he was the epitome of a stereotypical jock: self-centered, a little dumb, and obsessed with nothing but girls and sports. 

You cleared your throat to get his attention, shrinking a little bit when he spun around to stare at the source of his intrusion. 

“Hey,” you said softly. 

He didn’t say anything, giving you a questioning look. It was more sad than bitter, which surprised you. 

“I... wanted to say I was sorry. For... jumping to conclusions,” you uttered, suddenly really self-conscious. “I didn’t mean to judge you or get involved.”

His eyebrows relaxed, his lips pulling to the side in a thin smile. He scooted over on his bed, patting the space next to him for you to sit. You took the seat next to him gratefully, happy to get off your injured leg. 

“Don’t apologize for getting involved,” he murmured, reaching up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly, seemingly apologetic for the way he acted earlier, “I know you mean a lot to Grandma. She... talks about you a lot. For some reason though, I’m hardly ever home when you visit. I... got the impression that you were avoiding me, even.” 

You looked down at your hands, which were folded in your lap. You _had_ been avoiding him. He came across as rude the first time you met him, immediately diminishing your interest in getting to know him. Despite the situation with him, you absolutely adored Evelyn the moment you met her, being sure to visit almost every day in the warmer seasons, particularly when Alex wasn’t home. He was home a lot more often in Winter, though, so you found yourself visiting less often. 

You sighed, your voice small as you admitted the truth. 

“I was,” you confessed, “avoiding you, I mean.”

You looked up to see his reaction and felt a sinking feeling in your stomach when you realized he didn’t even look surprised. 

His shoulders sagged a little as he stared at the book in his lap. A book about philosophy. Surprising.

“Yeah. I don’t blame you.”

He paused, sighing as leaned back, shifting his weight his palms, pressing into the bedspread on either side of him. 

“I didn’t have many friends, you know. Still don’t. Not real ones anyway,” he explained, staring up at the his ceiling, painted the same shade of green as a gridball field. “When I got to high school, I decided I didn’t want to be alone anymore. I started hanging out with a bunch of dudes on the gridball team. They were douchebags, sure, to most people, but they were nice to _me_. They took me to parties, introduced me to girls. I started dating this cheerleader on and off... I’m sure you know her, Haley?”

He glanced sideways at you for confirmation and you nodded. 

He smiled that tight-lipped smile again, the one that didn’t reach his eyes, before continuing. “It didn’t feel good for very long. Every time I made fun of some random kid with my buddies, or snuck out of Haley’s room after doing nothing but making out, or went to another shitty party, I just felt _awful_. None of these people really gave a damn about me, you know? They didn’t know who I actually was, and I slowly became the worst version of myself when I was with them.” 

He laughed bitterly, then shook his head. “No one even put any effort into hanging out after I contacted them after graduation. The only person I still talk to is Haley, but I feel like even she doesn’t really know me. I can’t blame her either. I chose to become the asshole she thinks I am.”

There was a silence after he finished his sentence. You didn’t know all this about him, wracking your brain for something to say that would be helpful. You wanted to be encouraging but you didn’t know what words to use. 

You had apparently been silent for a second too long because his tanned, golden-brown cheeks flushed the slightest bit. 

“Sorry, I don’t know why I just told you all that,” he admitted. “Maybe it’s because Grandma talks about you so much, I feel like I know you too?”

“N-no, don’t apologize,” you sputtered, your hand flying to his in an attempt to be consoling. “Now I feel bad for avoiding you. You’re not what I expected.” 

He glanced down at your small hand atop his before looking back up into your eyes with a slight smile. A real one this time. The intimacy of the moment made you feel on edge and you withdrew, returning your hand to your lap. 

“Don’t feel bad. It’s my fault for acting like a douchey meathead,” he noted. 

“Well, you clearly aren’t,” you replied, gesturing to the philosophy book in his lap. 

He laughed at this, contagious laughter that sounded more like a cackle than anything else. You’d never heard it before and you _loved_ it.

“No, the meathead part is accurate. I have no idea what this book is about,” he explained, grinning. “I’m a quarter of the way through but I’ve absorbed _nothing_.”

You mirrored his smile unconsciously, your gaze drifting to his straight teeth and smooth, pink lips. You couldn’t deny it, another stereotype he couldn’t help but conform to was the fact that he was _incredibly_ attractive. 

“You good?” he teased. Your eyes widened. You had definitely been staring at his mouth. 

_‘What the hell?’_ you chastised yourself.

“Yeah, sorry,” you stuttered, mortified. “I just zoned out for a second.”

“I noticed,” he replied, the laugh he was struggling to smother playing at the edges of his words. He had an eyebrow raised now, staring down at you with a smug smirk. “I just rambled to you about everyone sees me as nothing more than a typical jock and now you’re checking me out? The _timing_ , farmer.”

“I was _not_ checking you out!” you lied, scrambling to your feet, your best option appearing to be to retreat. 

He laughed again, the wild laughter that made his shoulders shake. 

You took a step back towards the door, about to announce that you were going to leave if he didn’t stop laughing, but you didn’t have to because your leg promptly gave out beneath you. 

“Shit,” you cried, falling back towards the floor, wiping his smile clean off his face. 

“Ah-“

He leapt forward from the bed with startling speed, courtesy of his athletic ability, one hand clasping around your wrist, the other looping behind your back to steady you. 

You gasped, your hands flying up to his shoulders. He looked down at you with big, deep green eyes, before letting out a breath he’d been holding. You felt his exhale brush against your lips.

What a movie moment. It would’ve been cuter if you didn’t feel absolutely humiliated, making a fool of yourself in front of him for the third time today. 

“I swear I’m not usually this awkward,” you urged weakly. “I... hurt my leg in the mines.”

He frowned at this confession of yours, pulling you back into a standing position before walking you back to his bed. “Why haven’t you visited Harvey?”

“It isn’t that bad,” you answered pathetically. The lie was so unconvincing that he didn’t even bother addressing it, opting for a disappointed shake of his head instead. 

“I’m taking you to Harvey,” he announced. 

“What? Noooo,” you moaned, faintly aware that you were being childish. You didn’t like doctors. Plus, they were expensive. 

“You don’t have a choice,” he deadpanned, reaching under your legs to scoop you up bridal style. 

“Hey!”

“Don’t ‘hey’ me,” he shushed you, making his way out the door as you tried to look anywhere but at his face. “I’m taking you to Harvey whether you like it or not.”

-

When you got to the doctor’s office, you were both surprised to find out Harvey wasn’t there. 

“You’re stuck with me,” Maru said, a little upset with you for not coming to the office earlier. She was always very transparent. You knew she would chew you out about this later.

You watched her clean the needle to give you your stitches, your stomach flipping a little at the sight. That may or may not have been a contributing factor to why you put off coming to the office at all. 

“I didn’t know you two knew each other,” your friend noted, looking between you and Alex, who was leaning on the wall behind her. She was trying to stay mad at you but you could detect the curiosity in her voice. 

Alex looked at you with a raised eyebrow, awaiting your response. 

-

**We don’t. - Chapter TBA**

**Actually, he’s a friend. - Chapter 21**


	21. Stitches

“...Actually, he’s a friend,” you replied, glancing up at Alex to see his reaction. Yes, you had only just connected with him, but after he’d opened up to you the way he did, you couldn’t deny that there was something there. 

He tried to hide his smile, failing miserably as he crossed his arms over his body and looked away. He was clearly very pleased to hear this response of yours, a slight blush dusting his sunkissed skin.

 _So cute,_ you thought. 

Unfortunately for you, Maru was always able to read you like an open book. Her gaze darted between the two of you, a slow, wicked smile of understanding forming on her face. 

“Oh... _friends_ , huh?” she sang. “Say less.”

“Shut up, Maru- ouch!” you cried, squeezing your eyes shut when the needle pricked your skin again.

“Almost done, babe,” she promised, the humor dissipating from her voice when she observed just how uncomfortable you were with the stitches. 

“I hate this,” you complained, staring up at the white tiles of the popcorn ceiling. 

_Almost done. Almost done._

Suddenly, you felt a hand slip over yours, warm fingers folding over your knuckles. 

Maru stifled her smug comments, biting her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling as Alex squeezed your hand reassuringly. You knew she was dying to say something.

“I’ve gotten stitches loads of times,” he said softly, “I know how much it sucks.”

You stared up at him with wide eyes, alarmed that he would make a move like this. Either way, you weren’t complaining, especially when his hand felt so nice above yours and he was looking at you like _that_.

He looked down at you with a soft gaze even though his fingers were tight across yours. Slowly, his emerald irises swept across your face, from your eyes, to your lips. It was the same stare you had given him earlier. 

Your heart felt too loud in your chest, the pounding of the blood in your veins drowning out the pinches of the needle as Maru finishing closing up the wound. You wet your lips, self-conscious, butterflies erupting in your stomach when Alex mimicked you, his tongue sliding over his own lower lip slowly, painstakingly.

When Maru snipped the clear string, Alex’s gaze left your mouth, the trance broken. 

It suddenly occurred to you that he may have just been trying to distract you, your face heating up when you realized that if that was true, you _absolutely_ fell for it. 

“That’s it then,” Maru announced, standing up to put away her medical supplies. “You’ll have to stay the night so I can make sure you aren’t walking on your leg because you’re an _idiot_ who is incapable of taking care of herself.”

You scowled at her, pretending to be annoyed. You really felt a rush of affection. You didn’t know what you did to have such caring people in your life. 

“I’m _your_ idiot,” you flirted.

She rolled her eyes, tossing you a half-smile from over her shoulder as she strode out the room. 

You looked back at Alex. 

He still had his hand around yours as he looked down at you with an unreadable expression. 

“I should head back home,” he whispered...

...but he sounded reluctant. 

-

**Let go. - Chapter TBA**

**Ask him to stay. - Chapter 22**


	22. Only the Beginning

“Stay with me,” you said, the words leaving your mouth before you had a chance to properly consider them.

Alex raised his eyebrows. 

You flushed. “O-only if you want to, of course.” 

“I do,” he replied. His voice was warm, the natural lilt of his words honey against the grating sterility of the hospital room.

He sank in the leather chair beside you, his hand never leaving yours. Instead, he shifted, moving to lace his fingers with yours. Your stomach twisted again as you felt the callouses of his palms brush against your skin. 

You both stayed that way, tightly woven together, as you talked about random things. About Evelyn and George and his parents and your dad and your grandfather. Farming and gridball and your old job at Joja Co. and that one time someone (who knows who) added the mayor’s purple shorts to the Luau pot.

Eventually, you had dozed off. You didn’t know when, but you did. When you woke up, you stared blearily at the brunette boy who had fallen asleep beside you, his head resting on the arm that was folded on top of the hospital bed. Your hand was still tucked into his, both your palms sweaty at this point, but neither of you dared let go. You stared at his messy head of hair and broad shoulders, admiring the way the fabric of his letterman jacket pulled taut over his biceps. 

You studied the hand over yours curiously. The surface of his skin was a constellation of his memories, scars from injuries while playing gridball and his knuckles a little red from his nervous habit of rubbing them when he was anxious. Even so, you loved his hands. Yours seemed to fit so well in them.

You shifted your arm the slightest bit, guilt settling in when his eyes slid open.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” you apologized. 

He smiled, a little sleepily, before pulling your hand close to his lips and pressing a kiss to your knuckles. 

His lips were so _soft_.

“I see now why Grandma won’t stop talking about you,” he whispered. He looked up at you fondly through half-lidded eyes, cheek still resting on his arm. 

“You can’t keep doing that,” you muttered, flushing. 

“Doing what?” he asked innocently, a playful smile gracing his lips. 

“The stupid look you keep giving me with your stupid, green eyes under your stupid, long eyelashes,” you complained weakly. 

Alex laughed, his laugh setting the butterflies in your stomach into a frenzy like he had been doing all day.

Somehow, you knew that this was a feeling you would have to get used to...

...because this was only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending 2/?


	23. Goodnight

You decided it would probably be best if you didn’t rush into something, opting to continue the date at the saloon. Besides, there was a high likelihood that Clint would become an awkward mess without the reassurance of you being close by. 

“Want a bite?” you asked Shane when you realized he was repeatedly glancing at your plate of spaghetti. 

“No, I’m good,” he replied, gesturing unenthusiastically to his salad. “I’m on a diet.”

You raised an eyebrow. Sure, you and Shane hadn’t been friends for long, but you _knew_ a salad would be the last menu item on his mind. 

You didn’t want to disrupt his diet but... what the hell, it was a date after all. He could treat himself, just for today. 

You reached for his plate beside you, promptly switching his plate with yours.

“What are you doing, farmer?” he asked, more of a rhetorical question than anything, quirking an eyebrow in amusement but making no move to stop you.

“I’m craving salad,” you reassured him.

“There’s no dressing on it,” he deadpanned.

Oh.

“...I’m no longer craving salad.”

He laughed, the rare and beautiful sound filling your stomach with butterflies again. His voice was deeper than most men in the valley, the chocolate baritone of his vowels velvety on his tongue. 

Yeah... you’d never get sick of hearing it. 

“Tell you what, we share the spaghetti, but only if you let me pay,” he suggested, the corner of his mouth quirking up against his will. Talking to you was just so... easy. 

“Ooh, are we going to have a _Lady and the Tramp_ moment?” you crooned, biting your lip and fluttering your eyelashes exaggeratedly. 

He rolled his eyes, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. “Ugh, please no, anything but that.”

For the rest of the evening, the two of you tried to have a normal conversation but accidentally and consistently derailed into some of your usual bickering. The bickering continued until long after Clint and Emily went home for the night, the remaining patrons dwindling.

For some reason though, you kind of _loved it_.

“Chickens can’t be blue,” you stated simply, “scientifically, factually, technically.”

“You think you know _everything_ about chickens just because you have a farm, but I’m telling you. It’s possible. I’m a chicken connoisseur.” He was a little bit red in the face as he spoke with purpose, taking everything you said to him very seriously. 

“Oh yeah? So you’re telling me you’ve bred actual blue chickens.” You said it as if it was unbelievable, but honestly, it wasn’t really. Not in Stardew Valley. 

You just pretended to be doubtful because he was cute when he was passionate. 

“ _Yes, I have bred blue chickens._ The trick is to be selective about which eggs to incubate,” he explained, his hands flying around animatedly. He continued to describe the process behind his blue chickens while you divided your attention between his words and the way he looked tonight. 

Shane had always reminded you of a rugged main cast member in a zombie apocalypse film franchise because he was built like an athlete, but was rougher around the edges, all angles and grit. Your gaze swept over the dark strands of hair he’d combed neatly to the side, their color reminding you of a night sky at dusk, right when the last remaining light dissipated the remaining blue hue in the endless stretch of darkness. Your eyes continued to trace down him, wondering briefly how the stubble on his face would feel if he kissed you. 

“Are you even listening to me?” he asked, startling you out of your trance. His voice was void of malice, however, and he was smirking again. 

Ugh. The second time he caught you checking him out. 

“Sorry, I zone out a lot,” you said feebly. 

“Riiiiight... either you zone out a lot or you’re definitely obsessed with me,” he teased, holding eye contact as he brought his water glass up to his lips. 

It took a _lot_ of effort not to follow the glass to his mouth and watch the bob of his throat as he swallowed. 

You felt like a pervert, ducking your head down to pick at the last few noodles in your plate as you replied. “You must have a fat ego if you think normal eye contact means I’m obsessed with you.”

“Oh please,” he crooned, setting his glass down and leaning in close. “We both know you weren’t staring at my _eyes_.”

Your jaw dropped, the openness of your reaction making him realize just how intimate the joke was. He promptly flushed beet red.

Okay. Two could play at that game. 

You leaned in even closer, elbows on the table and chin in your hands, until your faces were inches apart. You could feel the heat radiating off his blushing face as his eyes widened the slightest bit. He was clearly trying to play it cool but the color of his cheeks were betraying his true emotions. 

“Okay, you caught me,” you muttered lowly. “What are you going to do about it?”

Shane swallowed nervously, glancing between your eyes quickly for a moment before his gaze dropped down to your lips. He was blushing so hard, the blood reached the tips of his ears. 

The magnetic pull between the two of you was unbearable. You were so close. It would be so easy to bridge the gap. 

In a manner that alluded he was unaware of his own actions, he wet his lips.

It was your turn to smirk now, a half-smile creeping up onto your face involuntarily. 

That broke the spell. He pulled away, embarrassed. 

“You can’t do that!” he cried. 

“Don’t know what you’re getting so worked up about,” you said innocently. 

He looked like he wanted to say more, to chastise you or scream or hide his face in his hands, but he didn’t get to do any of those things because Gus had strolled over to your table. 

“Sorry to interrupt but... the saloon is closed,” the saloon owner said apologetically, gesturing to the clock over your heads. 

You and Shane blinked as if woken from hypnosis, glancing around the empty place in surprise. 

You were the last ones there. 

“Sorry,” you apologized, gathering your purse and coat as Shane stood up to shrug his own jacket on. “We didn’t realize how late it got.”

You said your goodbyes to Gus and stepped out into the cold night air, the dim lights from the street lamps making the snow covered ground glitter faintly. 

“So,” you said.

“So,” Shane said. 

“I suppose I should head home.”

“Then, I suppose I should head home with you,” he replied.

An awkward pause hung in the air before he realized what he said. 

“To walk you home! Head home w-with you to walk you home!” he corrected, and you threw your head back to laugh. 

Your laugh was contagious to him. He found himself mimicking the smile on your face involuntarily. 

You teased him about his mixup all the way to the front door of your cabin, and surprisingly, he didn’t even roast you back. In fact, he was oddly quiet for the last few minutes of the walk, but you didn’t think much of it.

When you made it to your front steps, you turned to face him. To say goodnight and step inside... and maybe spend a few awkward seconds considering a first kiss. 

To kiss or not to kiss...

...you never got to ask yourself that question. 

The second you were facing him, he jumped to close the gap between you, his lips pressing hard against yours. It was startling. 

Unexpected. 

So utterly delicious. 

His lips were warm, albeit a little bit chapped from the cold, and the stubble around them pricked lightly at your chin. Oddly though, none of those things bothered you. Not even one bit. 

Before you had a chance to lean into it and taste him, to wrap your arms around his neck and pull him into you and melt into the scent of him and his cologne, he pulled away. 

You pouted at the sudden cold over your mouth. That kiss was _way_ too short. 

“Whoa,” you said, hands on his shoulders as you stared up at his flushed face. His eyes were smoldering.

“I’m sorry I pounced on you,” he said sheepishly, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “I just couldn’t stop thinking about how badly I wanted to kiss you, especially after that stunt you pulled right before we left the saloon.”

You chuckled at that. “That was equally your fault.”

“Hmm, maybe,” he hummed.

You both stood there like idiots for a second, smiling at each other and not saying anything. You never knew a moment of silence like this with _Shane_ of all people would feel so natural. It wasn’t awkward at all.

“So,” you said.

“So,” he said.

“I should probably go in,” you whispered. 

He groaned in annoyance before leaning down to press his forehead against yours. He closed his eyes, just enjoying the feeling of your warmth and your nose brushing his. 

“I guess. If you have to,” he muttered. 

You smiled. It was close to 2 AM and you were starting to feel the effects of it on your body. As much as you wanted to prolong the date, you knew it was in _both_ your best interests to head home. 

You backed up, his hand sliding out of yours as you took reluctant steps up to your door. As soon as his hand left yours, you immediately missed the feeling. 

Oh well. Plenty more to come.

“Goodnight, Shane,” you called, hand on the doorknob but eyes still lingering on him as he replaced his hands in his pockets. 

“Goodnight, farmer,” he called back. “See you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending 3/?


End file.
